Commuters across China may need to change some of their eyebrow-raising behaviors thanks to a new set of subway etiquette rules.

From April 1, passengers on subways nationwide will be prohibited from consuming food or using speakers on their electronic devices, according to the country’s Ministry of Transport. The notice, initially published in October 2019, also forbids hawkers and performers, lying across multiple train seats, and live animals, with the exception of service and police dogs.

Whether violators will be subject to punishment is not yet clear.

On microblogging platform Weibo, the speaker ban has been particularly well-received, with many users complaining of being subjected to bad music or loud conversations. Some have suggested that the same rule should also be applied to long-distance trains and buses. (Image: VCG)